Jeff Chaz No Paint

Jeff Chaz
No Paint
JCP Records

This new release by New Orleans based blues musician, Jeff Chaz, is his first in three years and first with his trio of bass guitarist Augie Joachim and drummer Rick Jones. Chaz is a triple threat as a singer, guitarist, and songwriter, and he wrote 9 of the ten songs heard here.

I found Chaz a striking guitarist and a very robust singer with gravelly delivered shouting suggestive of Omar Dykes. At times it might sound a bit overbearing as on "You Ain 't Shackin' No More," but generally, his robust delivery is very satisfying. The opening track, a cover of the old Tyrone Davis hit "Turn Back the Hands of Time," is one of the high points as he hammers out chords along with single notes runs. A straight blues original "The Stars Are Out," where he pours out his heart in his vocal. His use of dynamics in his guitar playing is notable as he plays tremolo-laced bass lines to high-end single note flurries. A similar track is "Lowdown, Dirty Blues."

Chaz is a witty lyricist who wrote some memorable verses, such as the tagline of the song "Life Is Like Coffee," "Life is like coffee, it never tastes as good as it smells." For "Blues Buffet," he wonders what blues she is serving up today as he recalls what she served last night, and he is really trying to make things work while she works overtime. He takes a very imaginative and impressive solo on this.

A rhythm guitarist or a keyboard player may have added to the range of tonal colors. Still, his playing is impressive, as are Chaz's engaging performances on a fascinating recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the January-February 2020 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 388), although I have made some clarifying changes. Here is "Blues Buffett" from the album.